NEED TO CATCH up? TheJournal.ie brings you a round-up of today’s news.

IRELAND

Siblings Thomas (3) and Liadh Fallon (5) at Griffith Park, Drumcondra launching Trócaire’s annual Lenten Appeal by designing their own Trócaire box Mark Stedman Mark Stedman

• Health officials confirmed a further three people with Covid-19 had died and 525 new cases of the virus in Ireland. 
• People between the ages of 19 to 69 with serious illnesses will start receiving vaccinations this week, HSE chief executive Paul Reid confirmed.
• President Michael D Higgins signed into law the legislation to bring in mandatory quarantine in a designated facility for certain passengers entering the country. 
• Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney urged Iran to come back to the table on a landmark nuclear deal during a meeting with President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran.
• Arlene Foster called for the “disastrous” Northern Ireland Protocol to be dismantled.
• A man in his 40s died after his car collided with a wall on the Skerries to Lusk Road in Milverton, Co Dublin. 
• Three men arrested after a woman and a man were injured during a shooting incident in Dublin yesterday were released without charge. A fourth man who was arrested remains in custody. 
• Former Justice Minister Nora Owens said she does not believe the public would be “thankful” if a new minister were to be appointed to replace the current Justice Minister when she has her baby.
• The reopening of a payment fund for those bereaved in Northern Ireland’s troubled past was warmly welcomed.

INTERNATIONAL

Queen Elizabeth II stressed the importance of staying in touch with family and friends during “testing times” in a message broadcast on television just hours ahead of Harry and Meghan's Oprah interview. PA PA

#RIP: French billionaire and politician Olivier Dassault was killed in a helicopter crash in northern France.

#BURQA BAN: Swiss voters narrowly backed banning full facial coverings in public places, despite women in Islamic full-face veils being an exceptionally rare sight in Swiss streets.

#REOPENING: Israel took another step towards post-pandemic normality, opening restaurants, bars and cafes to vaccinated “green pass” holders, with about 40% of the population fully inoculated against the coronavirus.

PARTING SHOT

Celebrated Irish author Edna O’Brien has been appointed a Commander in France’s “Ordre des Arts et Lettres”, entering the exclusive ranks of those awarded the nation’s highest cultural distinction.

J'ai remis, à distance! les insignes de Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres à Edna O’Brien, auteure incontournable de la littérature irlandaise dont l'oeuvre féministe et engagée trouve un écho particulier en cette veille de #JourneeInternationaleDesDroitsDesFemmes pic.twitter.com/rf246l835y

— Roselyne Bachelot (@R_Bachelot) March 7, 2021